Blue King Brown: Indigenous Activists and a Best-Selling Band

Player utilities

Members of the Blue King Brown band. (Photo: myspace.com/bluekingbrown)

Thursday marked Australia Day down under.

The holiday commemorates the day in 1788 when British colonists first arrived there. But Thursday was marked by turmoil and drama.

Aboriginal protesters confronted Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the country's main opposition leader Tony Abbott as the two were coming out of a restaurant.

For 40 years, indigenous protesters have had their own Occupy movement of sorts — a tent city near parliament in Canberra. Wednesday, when asked about the so-called Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Abbott implied that it was time to tear it down.

That brought out the demonstrators, and their anger. Prime Minister Gillard literally had to be carried to safety.

Though Aboriginal communities have felt marginalized for centuries in Australia, their activism doesn't typically grow as heated as you can see in the video above.

Here is an example of indigenous activists in Australia who are a best-selling band, Blue King Brown.

Below, Blue King Brown and another Australian artist, Gurrumul, collaborate on the song Guthu Mawula.

PRI takes a global approach to the news of the day. We help you understand how what happens around the world matters in Washington and in your neighborhood. Today more than ever, we need conversations, perspectives and diverse voices.